The present invention provides an apparatus for artificially tanning a person. According to one aspect of the invention, the tanning apparatus is configured for more effectively tanning the sides of a person and for easy access. According to another aspect of the invention, the tanning apparatus is provided with specially arranged ultraviolet lamps for providing an enhanced radiation energy source.
Tanning beds making use of artificial ultra violet light are very popular, especially in the winter months when a natural tan can not be readily acquired and particularly in those areas where the summer tanning season is relatively short. Many tanning operators own a number of tanning beds for rent to the public. The length of time that a user must stay in the tanning chamber to achieve a desired tanning affect is a limiting factor on how often the beds can be rented and thus has a direct impact on profits.
A typical tanning bed has an upper tanning unit and a lower tanning unit connected by hinges so that the upper unit can be opened and a closed in a manner analogous to a clamshell In the open position, a person can enter the apparatus to lie down on the lower tanning unit In the closed position the units form an internal tanning chamber where the person to be tanned is partially surrounded by tanning lamps. The upper unit has a row of lamps that are intended to tan the upwardly facing parts of the person, and the lower unit has a row of lamps that are intended to tan the downwardly facing parts of the person.
A problem that is often encountered in prior art devices is uneven tanning along a users"" sides that arises because of a break in the lamp distribution at the S sides of the chamber where the upper and lower tanning units meet when in the closed position. In a typical tanning bed, the upper and lower units meet on opposite sides of the tanning chamber near the vertical center of the chamber. Consequently, the user cannot eliminate the uneven tan by a method such as periodically alternating from lying on his or her back and stomach.
Another problem with typical tanning beds is that the upper tanning unit, when in the closed position, must provide a reasonable amount of room above the person lying in the bed. However, providing the overhead space requires that the lamps in the upper tanning unit be positioned farther away from the person than the lamps in the lower tanning unit The overhead space decreases the amount of tanning radiation that reaches the upwardly facing parts of a person, which increases the time required to achieve a desired level of exposure.
In accordance with the present invention, a tanning bed is provided that comprises an upper tanning unit and a lower tanning unit positioned on a base. The lower tanning unit has a lower radiation source positioned between a first longitudinally extending edge on one side of the lower unit and a second longitudinally extending edge on the opposite side of the lower unit has an upper radiation source that is similarly positioned between a first longitudinally extending edge on one side of the upper unit and a second longitudinally extending edge on the opposite side of the upper unit
The upper tanning unit is connected to the base by a hinge mechanism and is moveable between an open and a closed position. A user accesses the tanning bed by ascending over the first longitudinal edge of the lower unit when the upper unit is in the open position In the closed position the upper and lower tanning units face each other and form a tanning chamber with the first and second longitudinal edges of the upper tanning unit positioned adjacent the first and second longitudinal edges of the lower tanning unit, respectively.
According to a first aspect of the invention, the first longitudinal edge of the lower tanning unit is positioned below the centerline of the tanning chamber to provide for easy entry and access into the tanning chamber. When in the closed position, at least one tanning lamp is positioned near the vertical center of one side of the tanning chamber, and at least one tanning lamp is positioned near the vertical center on the opposite side of the tanning chamber to eliminate uneven tanning along the user""s sides. According to a second aspect of the invention, the upper tanning unit is provided with an upper radiation source comprising a first row and a second row of tanning lamps that may comprise a higher output The lamps are positioned in a staggered arrangement that minimizes the reflection and refraction losses of the radiation emitted from the lamps in the second row. The second row of lamps and the staggered arrangement result in a higher level of tanning radiation that reaches the upwardly facing parts of the person, thereby reducing the time required to achieve the desired level of exposure.